Vodafone App Aid: Calling all developers

Vodafone have approached us and asked us to promote something for them, and we’ve decided to do it. Why? Because it’s for a good cause.

Vodafone is asking for programmers, developers and designers to donate their time to help charities build smartphone apps for their communities, under Vodafone Foundation’s 48 hour hackathon event, aptly named App Aid, to be held in Sydney from 20 to 22 September.

App Aid is supported not only by the Vodafone Foundation, but by Facebook and Samsung too – it has some pretty big backing. Participants have the opportunity to get themselves, and their ideas, out there while giving something back to the community.

This, from Demelza Farr, Head of Vodafone Foundation —

“Aside from the glory of doing good, participants will be given the opportunity to present their ideas and gain exposure to prominent industry leaders while also getting the chance to explore their creativity and work alongside other ‘hackers’,”

Participants will also be in the running to win a Samsung prize pack to be awarded to the team with the most innovative apps, plus the chance to work commercially with the charities (at the charity’s discretion) to bring the apps to market.

The judging panel is bound to have some pretty sizeable talent within — one of the world’s most renowned venture capitalists is going to play judge. In other words, if you have an idea to pitch, this may be a good opportunity to show what you or your firm can do.

Demelza added —

“48 hours of your time will go a long way to help these charities, help others, and we welcome support from established or aspiring individuals, to join us in helping these charities turn their ‘app’ dreams into a reality”

We think this is a pretty nifty idea, and we encourage any Ausdroid readers who have development and/or design skills to consider putting their hands up!

Over 150 charities submitted their app ideas to be part of App Aid. The Vodafone Foundation has shortlisted the following 7 charities to go through to App Aid, based on the merit of their ideas, outlined below:

The Centre for Volunteering: The Two Bobs Worth App will make it easier for people to be more spontaneous in their volunteering activities. The App will present volunteering opportunities, with some only taking a few hours out of someone’s day. It will track the volunteer hours completed by each participant and generate a ‘Volunteering Passport” that can integrate with Facebook and other social media to help volunteers receive the recognition they deserve by their organisation and wider community.

Lifestyle Solutions: The Wellness 7 Days App is a tool designed to map participants mood and emotional challenges over any given day or time. By tracking their emotional states, this app will enable health care providers to provide more meaningful and timely support.

St Johns Ambulance (NSW): The app will be developed to support St Johns Ambulance (NSW) volunteers when they are out in the field, by providing them with access to necessary information including tips, checklists and patient treatment guides to assist in emergency treatment. In addition, the app will also allow for members and team leaders at events and emergencies around the state to communicate with head quarters to report on patient work load and activity.

OzHarvest: The app will enable food donors to notify OzHarvest when they have food available for rescue and for OzHarvest to plan and coordinate the process of food rescue in order to maximise the benefit to recipients.

Starlight Children’s Foundation: The purpose of the Starlight app will be a game to connect seriously ill and hospitalised children with Captain Starlight 24/7. It will keep them entertained and distracted while in hospital and when living at home, increase awareness of the Captain Starlight program and raise vital funds via app downloads, to go towards the Captain Starlight program.

Leukaemia Foundation: The Leukaemia Foundation would like to develop an app to support cancer patients through their cancer journey, especially those in more remote areas. The app will capture patients information, such as their physical and mental wellbeing which will be fed back to their care coordinator to monitor and intervene as required. It will also provide prompts to patients about up and coming appointments and provide information to support them through treatment side effects.

NSW Wires: NSW Wires would like to develop an app that will benefit the survival rate of native wildlife in. By providing the public with information on the basic skills of how to identify and attend to injured wildlife, and also ease of access to contact details of their nearest WIRES branch or local vet.

Applications for software developers close on 5pm Monday 10 September, 2012. Visit Vodafone.com.au/appaid for more information and to apply.

Chris Rowland Editor and Publisher

Chris has been at the forefront of smartphone reporting in Australia since smartphones were a thing, and has used mobile phones since they came with giant lead-acid batteries that were "transportable" and were carried in a shoulder bag. He saw the transition from AMPS to GSM, loved the Motorola StarTac, and got into Palm technologies in a big way. The arrival some years later of the original iPhone, and then the early Androids, awoke a new interest in mobile technology, and Chris has been writing about it since.

Today, Chris publishes one of Australia's most popular technology websites, Ausdroid. His interests include mobile (of course), as well as connected technology and how it can make all our lives easier.